Written by an author with wide expertise on Southern and Florida politics and districting, this book reveals the ways that some people are formally or... effectively disenfranchised in America, and how control of the ballot and the voting process is manipulated--and then asks why we seem to tolerate it.

Twenty discourses from the Pali Canon—including those most essential to the study and teaching of early Buddhism—are provided in fresh... translations, accompanied by introductions that highlight the main themes and set the ideas presented in the context of wider philosophical and religious issues. Taken together, these fascinating works give an account of Buddhist teachings directly from the earliest primary sources. In his General Introduction, John J. Holder discusses the structure and language of the Pali Canon—its importance within the Buddhist tradition and the historical context in which it developed—and gives an overview of the basic doctrines of early Buddhism.

Without the complex military machine that his forebears had built up over the course of the eighth century, it would have been impossible for... Charlemagne to revive the Roman empire in the West. Early Carolingian Warfare is the first book-length study of how the Frankish dynasty, beginning with Pippin II, established its power and cultivated its military expertise in order to reestablish the regnum Francorum, a geographical area of the late Roman period that includes much of present-day France and western Germany. Bernard Bachrach has thoroughly examined contemporary sources, including court chronicles, military handbooks, and late Roman histories and manuals, to establish how the early Carolingians used their legacy of political and military techniques and strategies forged in imperial Rome to regain control in the West.Pippin II and his successors were not diverted by opportunities for financial enrichment in the short term through raids and campaigns outside of the regnum Francorum; they focused on conquest with sagacious sensibilities, preferring bloodless diplomatic solutions to unnecessarily destructive warfare, and disdained military glory for its own sake. But when they had to deploy their military forces, their operations were brutal and efficient. Their training was exceptionally well developed, and their techniques included hand-to-hand combat, regimented troop movements, fighting on horseback with specialized mounted soldiers, and the execution of lengthy sieges employing artillery. In order to sustain their long-term strategy, the early Carolingians relied on a late Roman model whereby soldiers were recruited from among the militarized population who were required by law to serve outside their immediate communities. The ability to mass and train large armies from among farmers and urban-dwellers gave the Carolingians the necessary power to lay siege to the old Roman fortress cities that dominated the military topography of the West.Bachrach includes fresh accounts of Charles Martel's defeat of the Muslims at Poitiers in 732, and Pippin's successful siege of Bourges in 762, demonstrating that in the matter of warfare there never was a western European Dark Age that ultimately was enlightened by some later Renaissance. The early Carolingians built upon surviving military institutions, adopted late antique technology, and effectively utilized their classical intellectual inheritance to prepare the way militarily for Charlemagne's empire.

Educators, families, and media in increasing numbers are recognizing the unique role music plays in young children s development. More and more daycare,... preschool, and early intervention centers offer employment opportunities that reflect the needs and attitudes of our ever-changing society. Furthermore, Federal and state regulations, a changing educational scene, advances in technology, and an emphasis on including students with special needs are influencing how music therapy services are delivered in school settings. In this volume, relevant, practical information is offered for music therapists that may not have been part of their formal training. Music therapists, educators, clinicians, administrators, and students working with young children and looking to expand and enhance therapeutic services, will benefit from this comprehensive resource. Music therapy experts detail all aspects of service delivery from eligibility and assessment through treatment planning and documentation. This monograph is an exceptional text for training programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.

The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing... programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children.This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. "Early Childhood Assessment" addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.

This text examines curricular goals such as autonomy, development, and problem solving and links those goals with constructivist principles of learning.... It explores ways teachers can create meaningful learning environments and choose curriculum tasks that are linked to the learning and development needs of young children. Early Childhood Curriculum completely integrates curriculum with learning principles, in accordance with National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines.

Ages birth to 5. This comprehensive guide provides information on planning programs with a play-based, developmental curriculum for children from birth... to five years of age and covers basic principles and current research in early childhood curricula. The book is unique in that it discusses the creative play model for use with children from infancy through preschool by presenting an integrated, individualized curricular approach that helps teachers to be sensitive to and to plan for young children with a variety of developmental and cultural backgrounds. Includes adaptations for young children with special needs in the Activity pages which are designed to quickly locate suggested activities, by domain. To enhance the book's  focus on observation in curriculum planning, the unique Developmental Checklist pages are perforated for student use when observing or working with young children.   

With a solid theoretical focus and child-centered approach, Early Childhood Curriculum stresses the importance of students understanding the foundations... of their field before they develop and use quality teaching and instruction programs. The text strikes a balance between the most current research and trends with classic theories to create a working basis for developing curriculum for children from 0-8 years old.   This specific and reflective guide to implementing quality teaching programs in a chronological manner from infancy to grade three takes a largely constructivist approach that includes skills instruction and emergent literacy in a balanced reading program.  The teacher guides, instructs, and scaffolds, and the child encounters, experiences, and accomplishes goals in beginning literacy.  The new sixth edition of the text includes thematic lesson plans that are updated to integrate state standards as well as current information on new brain research and its implications for infant-toddler programs.

With a solid theoretical focus and child-centered approach, Early Childhood Curriculum stresses the importance of students understanding the foundations... of their field before they develop and use quality teaching and instruction programs. The text strikes a balance between the most current research and trends with classic theories to create a working basis for developing curriculum for children from 0-8 years old.   This specific and reflective guide to implementing quality teaching programs in a chronological manner from infancy to grade three takes a largely constructivist approach that includes skills instruction and emergent literacy in a balanced reading program.  The teacher guides, instructs, and scaffolds, and the child encounters, experiences, and accomplishes goals in beginning literacy.  The new sixth edition of the text includes thematic lesson plans that are updated to integrate state standards as well as current information on new brain research and its implications for infant-toddler programs.

This DVD consists of 8 videos on the following subjects: Literacy Mathematics Science Social Studies Creative Arts Music and Movement ... Technology and an additional segment on Integrated Curriculum, to show students how to incorporate several content areas into themes and lessons. Each video was filmed in various early childhood centers and schools in the Miami, Florida area.  Segments range from 5 to 9 minutes in length.  It features a Spanish/English language option, and also a chapter selection menu for each section of the video.  This compilation provides educators with the opportunity to see what they are reading and gain a deeper understanding of their role.

This text introduces the early childhood student to the essential aspects of the early childhood curriculum: intelligence and potential, developmentally... appropriate practice, healthy relationships, play, values, assessment, and planning. It allows the student to recall, interpret, summarize, associate, relate, apply, create, design, assess, and discriminate the information presented through intriguing journal questions and activities. Vignettes are utilized to enable the student to transfer the theory to reality and to draw attention to key concepts for discussion and debate. The development of symbol systems (beyond reading and writing) is thoroughly investigated. Current brain and intelligence research offers the student the opportunity to see the science behind the pedagogy. The text is motivating and offers inspiration for new teachers through the quotes, journal activities, vignettes, and photographs.

Early Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective, Fifth Edition addresses both typical and atypical child development from birth through age... eight.  This text highlights the diversity of child development, preparing professionals to meet the unique needs of children from a wide variety of backgrounds.